1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more specifically to a system and method for handling a work item within the system during that item's lifetime.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous techniques are used to manage work that is to be performed. How that work is handled depends in part upon the nature of the work. In some applications, a single work item is worked upon by several different entities, human or automated systems, at different times. Work of this type is difficult for existing system to deal with, because keeping up with the work item and its status is not provided for.
An example of such a system would be one associated with a “help desk”, in which requests for assistance are submitted by users, and addressed at various times by technicians. When a user submits a request for assistance, that request must be tracked as it passes through the system set up to deal with it. Such a request may be dealt with by a single technician, or it may be routed to one or more specialists for additional assistance. Such requests are sometimes referred to as “trouble tickets” in some industries. The trouble ticket must be maintained, and its status ascertained, until a response to the request is completed.
Most computer systems have trouble gracefully handling this type of work item. In many cases, dedicated code must be written to enable these items to be tracked and handled. This is inefficient, because systems that deal with such work items have many features in common.
It would be desirable to provide a system that enabled work items of this type to be easily handled. It would further be desirable for such a system to be generic enough that the numerous different business systems could use a single support system.